1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to practice and corrective devices associated with the golf swing and the game of golf and more particularly to a golf club swinging guide which provides immediate audible indicia reflective of any misalignment between the golf swing itself and the direction the striking face of the golf club head faces at the moment of golf ball impact.
2. Description of Related Art
The world of golf has attracted a vast mountain of players, competitors and golf club equipment, not to mention the vast investment in golf courses themselves. However, the game of golf is premised upon a golf swing which is at best unnatural. Developing a correct swing for consistent power and accuracy is the ultimate challenge of every golfer.
One aspect of this golf swing perfection challenge is to cause the golf club striking face to strike the golf ball in a line of movement and with a club face striking face orientation which will propel the golf ball in a desired direction and with the desired amount of hook, slice or straight flight characteristics. One patent disclosure by Johnson in U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,376 has provided such a golf club swinging guide. This invention by Johnson provides a swinging guide somewhat permanently clampable onto the lower end of the golf shaft of the golf club and provides a vane pivotally connected to that mount. The vane is freely pivotal and responsive to movement of air so that the vane visibly aligns itself in the direction of the golf club swing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,406 to Reichenbach et al. discloses a golf club swing training apparatus. A golf swing position indicator is taught by Dollar, Jr. et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,160. Gates teaches an apparatus and method for measuring the speed of movement of the head of a golf club and for plotting the path of movement of a golf club head using accelerometers in U.S. Pat. No. 6,441,745.
Methods and systems for analyzing the motion of sporting equipment are taught by Perlmutter in U.S. Patent Application Publication 2002/0123386. Van Cott et al. teach a golf swing training apparatus which provides audible indications of the orientation of the club face as it meets the ball and smoothness throughout the swing in U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,829.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2003/0207719 to Hughes discloses a collapsible swing training device.
A broad array of additional U.S. patented devices also provide some means for visually aligning the striking face of the golf club head with the golf ball on a more static pre-swing basis as follows:                U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,150 Chiesa        U.S. Pat. No. 1,712,609 Gibson        U.S. Pat. No. 2,652,251 Molinar        U.S. Pat. No. 3,198,525 Smith        U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,705 Nunziato        U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,693 Eisenberg        U.S. Pat. No. 3,719,363 Harrison        U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,378 Backus        U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,971 Thornton        U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,129 Wilson        U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,962 Lin        U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,509 Gray        U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,564 Schang        U.S. Pat. No. D347,457 Armstrong        
A previous U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,731 provides a substantial improvement over the Johnson '376 swinging guide in that many of the forces associated with the high velocity and arcuate movement of a golf club head are somewhat neutralized in my '731 patent over the Johnson device so that a more accurate indication of misalignment at the moment of golf ball impact is viewable. Further, a means for temporarily locking the misalignment relationship at the moment of golf ball impact is also provided.
Another previous U.S. Pat. No. 7,427,238 provides still further improvement in an electronic/mechanical golf club swing guide by substantially reducing the mass and inertia factors which must be dealt with during a typical golf swing and further which provides for electronic swing analysis and audible output at the moment of impact to indicate to the golfer whether the swing was correct.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.